Imps & Angels

by Indra Frost

  A warning burn lit up originating from my shoulder blade, the brand punishing me for even thinking about going against my master, and I pushed the thoughts to the side. The pain fading to nothing once more.

  Trying to think about something else, I fingered the shirt I was now wearing, and the image of the man who had made me lose a favorite came to mind. I glared at the wall, pretending it was him standing in front of me.

  I didn’t know what these people could be after, though I knew it wouldn’t be good for me. I wasn’t going to go back to the gym and let them corner me. So, for now, I could only hope that they would leave me alone.

  Shaking off the jumble of emotions, I headed out, ready for a day of disappointment.

  I walked around the area as the streets started to come to life and searched for any ‘help wanted’ signs. I even went into a few stores to ask if they would have any openings soon. Everyone said no, and even when I could tell they were lying, I didn’t push. No one wanted to give a homeless Supe like me a job. It was made worse by the fact that a lot of people knew Greg, and they didn’t want to go against him. It was well known that he had a hold on me, though people didn’t know just what that was. It was enough for them to shut the door in my face without ever giving me a chance.

  As the rejections continued, and it got later in the day, I couldn’t help the yawns that kept escaping. Just as I couldn’t help what I wore when I went in to ask for applications. I was in my nicest pair of jeans and a blouse, but the jeans had a hole in one knee and the blouse was threadbare and faded.

  It wasn’t fashionable, but it was the best I could do.

  Leaving yet another run-down shop, and with another rejection under my belt, I turned down another street. I had to jump to the side as a man walking swiftly almost rammed right into me.

  I glared, intending to give the man a piece of my mind, when I recognized him.

  “You!” I exclaimed as my eyes took in the magic user from last night.

  His bronze hair shone in the light, green eyes flashing. I still found him attractive, but now I also knew he was up to something. The spell on my shirt last night was powerful, and I wasn’t sure what it was for.

  He could have been trying to follow me, or his spell could have been used to abduct me. It wasn't unheard of for magic users to abduct women, and homeless ones had no one to miss them. But the thought of the other two men made me think it had something to do with Greg, and not for the horrific reason’s women were usually worried about.

  His eyes widened in surprise when he realized who I was. That made me feel a little better, and it let me know that he wasn’t following me. But I still didn’t like that I had run into him at all.

  “You!” His voice was excited as well as surprised, and a strange feeling entered my chest.

  It was odd that someone was happy to see me. But I had to be cautious. His recognition and excitement meant that either I had become a target, or he knew who I was. Either way, I needed to get away from him. I wasn’t going to become a statistic, one of those girls who disappeared in broad daylight, so I turned and ran.

  Maybe it was the cowardly thing to do, but it was hard to get a lock on this power level, and I didn't want to fight and risk ruining the only nice clothing that I had.

  “Hey, wait!” He called after me, starting to run as well, like he was planning to follow after me.

  I sprinted faster, ducking through alleys and moving between buildings. Launching myself over a wall, I growled when he continued after me. Picking up the pace, I pulled on my magic, pulling on some of my enhanced speed to leave him behind.

  But, to my surprise, he still kept up with me.

  I didn’t know how; he shouldn’t have been able to. Even though he could use magic, he was essentially human, and he wasn’t supposed to be as strong or fast as other Supes.

  Terrified, I sped up even more, pushing until he started to fall behind. I ran blindly, my only thought was about escaping him. I ran until I couldn't hear him behind me. My breath was sawing in and out of my lungs, not from running, but from the fear of what him chasing me meant. I didn’t know what he wanted, or why he had come after me. But I wasn’t imagining it; he had chased me, and the scariest part was that for a while he was able to keep up. The sheer amount of power it would take to do that was terrifying to think about.

  After a few blocks, when I still didn’t hear him behind me, I slowed my pace and looked around to get my bearings.

  I was in a rougher part of town; the buildings were old and falling apart. The paint was peeling off the walls, the colors faded and spotted with mold. Some of the buildings had broken windows that gaped open like giant mouths, waiting to close on unsuspecting squatters seeking refuge. The smell wasn’t too pleasant either, like a mix between excrement and vomit. Rats and other creatures ran in the alleys, chasing each other through mounds of trash.

  There were no people on the street, despite the time of day, and I finally recognized where I was.

  I usually did everything I could to avoid this part of town. It wasn’t the area itself that worried me, but who ran it. Greg wasn’t a very powerful demon, in fact he was rather weak compared to most, but he was good at manipulating people. He had some powerful friends, but that also meant powerful enemies. Some who knew just enough about the contract he had on me to use it to their advantage, if they were given the chance.

  I looked back up, hoping that I would be able to sneak out unseen. I had only taken a single step back when the sound of far more solid steps reached my ears and one of Greg’s enemies stepped into view.

  I eyed the man standing a few yards in front of me, terror shooting through my veins. His large frame was intimidating, and he took up more space with his presence than he physically should have been able to. A vicious smile covered his face and I felt a thrill of fear run through me. I would have been wary of him even without knowing he was a troll.

  I was in trouble, and now I had to think of a way to get myself out of it. This situation was about to get worse, and I knew if this creature had his way, I wouldn’t be leaving alive.

  Suddenly, my concern about ruining my outfit seemed much less important.

  Rubble lined the roads, and even the rats made themselves scarce as I prepared to face Raum. He was a territory leader here, and one of the few men who was brave enough, or stupid enough, to be open about his hatred of Greg.

  His shoulders were broad, and his head looked too tiny for his body. Horns protruded from his forehead, and his skin was as mottled-gray as the buildings around us. I watched as more of his hellish features started to show in the presence of another Supe. Claws grew from the tips of his fingers as he gave me a jagged toothed grin.

  I backed up a step, knowing it was better to leave than to stay and fight. It wouldn’t be good for me to escape a crazy wizard, only to get myself killed by a troll. They were notorious for their strength, however, not their brains.

  Keeping an eye on the troll in front of me, I started to back away as fast as I dared, but stopped short. There were others creeping around, I heard them scurrying in the shadows, blocking my escape. I listened, tracking them with my other senses, while keeping my gaze on the biggest threat in front of me.

  “Where’s your master, little girl?” his voice sounded like rocks grinding against each other, and I had to work hard not to cringe at the harsh sound.

  His voice grated on my ears and made my head hurt. The sensation didn’t last long, but it was extremely unpleasant.

  “Probably screwing your mom.” I snapped back, not appreciating him rubbing my status in my face.

  His face darkened with his rage at my remark and he took a step closer to me. It was intimidating, but I couldn’t retreat any more. His lackeys had come up behind me and gotten into position to stop my escape.

  I didn’t want to give any of them the chance to get the drop on me, so I paid attention to everything that I could. He had more Supes working for him, but I wasn’t sure what they wer
e, so it was better to be cautious than reckless. A bashed in skull was a steep price to pay for my ignorance.

  “Where is he?” his voice rang in my ears, setting my head to pounding once more.

  My ears were too sensitive for him to speak so loud from so close. It was like sticking my head between two rocks that were being bashed together.

  “I don’t know, Raum, somewhere in Hell. I've heard it's lovely this time of year.”

  Of course, I knew that it wasn't. Hell wasn't lovely anytime of the year, let alone the middle of the summer.

  But the troll smiled, and I felt my stomach drop. He was well aware that Greg was gone, he just wanted me to confirm it. I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing he was up to no good, but not knowing how to stop whatever he had planned. Fear and confusion tried to overwhelm me, but I needed to think, so I pushed past the emotions and started to think about ways to escape.

  “What do you want, Raum?”

  He wanted something from me, or Greg, but I couldn’t think of what it would be at this point.

  His smile was fierce as he eyed me. The look he was sending me seemed almost covetous, and I was suddenly worried that this was going to be worse than I expected. A shiver ran down my spine as I tried to prepare myself for what was about to happen.

  “I think I should be the one asking that question. You’re the one that came to me.” His expression became more calculating as something crossed his mind.

  His expression made me wary, and I felt fear start to grow inside of me. He knew I was bound to Greg, and that the minor demon used me as his pawn. Though I doubted he understood what that really meant. What it meant to be bound to a master and forced to do their bidding. The gleam in his eye told me that he didn't care, either. He knew I was valuable to Greg, and the minor demon was in the way of him getting more territory. I would make a great bargaining tool, and that meant that this had just gotten more dangerous.

  "I was just passing through. Now I think it's best that I leave," my voice didn't waver, but it wasn't as strong as I would have liked, either.

  But it didn't matter; Raum had made up his mind, and I doubt anything I said at this point would have made a difference.

  "We'll you’re in my territory now, and that means you belong to me." He said, his eyes glowing with malice.

  I narrowed my eyes as my fear made my magic rise to the surface. I looked around, thinking about ways I could escape, while some part of me just wanted to set him on fire and be done with it.

  I couldn't do that though, I had to hold back. I couldn't show my hand and give away anything that would come back to bite me later.

  I could control fire, but it wasn’t only normal fire I was able to manipulate. I could control the flames of both Heaven and Hell. It was a dangerous and unheard-of ability, one that had never been seen before in one person.

  That meant it was also something I made sure to hide. The troll standing in front of me was proving that I was smart to do so. I knew growing up that people would try to use me and my abilities for their own gain. I had worked hard at hiding what I could do to try and stop that from happening. Even from my own family; especially from them.

  Raum hadn’t stopped me to ask for my help, he was here to see if it was worth it to attack Greg. And he wanted to use me to do it. Regardless of the fact that I couldn't go against Greg. I had to keep my abilities secret; I wouldn't be used against my will. And that meant making sure that no one found out what I could do.

  Especially Greg.

  “That’s not how these things work,” I kept my face neutral, but inside I was a nervous wreck.

  The urge to burn him where he stood got stronger, and for the first time almost since I had come earth-side, I was tempted to use it. I had used my fire to try and burn the agreement, but all I had done was hurt myself. It had taught me a valuable lesson on what the contract was capable of.

  I couldn’t let either of them find out if they didn’t already know. It would make my life more miserable than it already was. I hadn’t been forced to hurt anybody, but I knew that wouldn’t be the case if Greg found out the truth of my abilities. I had to protect that secret, no matter what.

  Raum paused for a moment, looking at me, but not seeing me. He had made up his mind, now he was going to do what he wanted. His eyes flicked behind me again to the man that was now standing there. I could swear I heard the poor guy swallow with fear, but I didn’t turn around to see his face. I wasn’t going to turn my back on the biggest threat to me at the moment.

  Even with my refusal, Raum didn’t get out of my way. Instead, more men came out of the surrounding area to surround me. I had stupidly hoped that he would let me walk away. That didn’t seem like it was going to happen.

  I was going to have to fight my way out, and I wouldn’t be able to use my abilities to do it. At least, not the ones that would be of any real use.

  I reached out with my empathic abilities, wanting to get a better idea of how many men were surrounding me, and what they were feeling. I had learned that you could tell a lot about what someone was planning to do by how they felt. My empathy was helpful in a fight; it let me get a glimpse of my opponent’s intentions and predict their moves. I hadn't tried to use it with more than one person, though, and I would have to use my other senses to help make up for that.

  There were six men that I could sense, most of which felt a range of emotions from anger to boredom. Their emotions ran through me and it was like I was behind a wall, witnessing what they were feeling, but not affected by it.

  When I was young it had been hard to separate other’s feelings from my own. I would react to the emotions around me as I couldn't differentiate which ones were mine, and which belonged to others. Being in hell meant most people were hateful and angry. I had learned to build a wall so that it didn't happen as often, but it had still taken me years before I was able to keep up that wall and still see other's emotions.

  The man behind me was full of pure unadulterated fear. I had to assume he was the one to tell Raum that I could manipulate fire. His fear meant he wasn't sure he would survive this encounter, even if they won the fight.

  I knew from experience that even the best fighters could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, so I would have to stay on my guard and make sure not to give them an in. I was a good fighter, when Greg wasn’t forcing me to lose, but I was worried I wasn’t going to make it out of here without a lot of pain. If I made it out of here at all.

  My gaze moved to Raum as he stood in front of me. Confidence filled his entire being. He was so sure that he would be able to beat me, to use me against Greg, and so sure I wouldn’t fight back.

  Looking around, I didn’t think I had much of a chance, not without my abilities, but I wouldn’t go down quietly. I would fight to the bitter, painful end.

  Preparing myself, I relaxed my stance, getting ready for the attack I knew would be coming. Using my empathic ability to track all the people around me, was an advantage that wouldn’t give away my abilities, but it was also taxing, and somewhat distracting. It gave me a headache to keep track of so many people at once.

  Raum was the first to move, but it wasn’t to come at me. He gave a nod to the people behind me, giving them permission to attack.

  I turned, prepared for the first person coming after me. It was a young man, a vampire, and I had to tap into my abilities to see him coming. He was one of the fastest men I had ever seen. Only the vampire from the gym would have had him beat.

  His fist came toward my face, the air almost seeming to whistle with its speed, and I wasn't able to get completely out of his way. His hit landed on my collar bone instead of my cheek, and I had to turn with the hit or risk having it break.

  Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I had to concentrate and make sure not to use more speed or strength than an average half-breed would be capable of. It was distracting me, and I wasn’t able to fight my best while worried about the consequences of letting them see too much about me.

>   His fist once again came for my face, but this time I was ready for it. I ducked to the side, grabbing his hand and using his own momentum to propel him to the ground. Then I sent a swift kick to his head, knocking him out as soon as he was down. I didn’t care at that moment if I killed him. My emotions and thoughts were scattered, and all I could focus on was getting out of here alive.

  But I didn’t have time to relax or celebrate the minor win. Pain exploded from my back, my kidney spasming as another man was on me in seconds. I turned, but someone else came at me from the side, and I wasn't able to dodge both their hits at once. A hard, clawed hand landed a punch to my side and I had to fight not to curl into a ball.

  I needed to use my magic. But, I couldn't...

  They were coming at me from all sides and I was being overwhelmed. I tried to dodge, even managed to get in a few more hits. But it wasn't enough. The fire inside me was begging to be released, but I couldn’t allow it to seep out. Instead, I allowed more speed and strength to come through. The change shouldn't have been noticeable, but I was running out of options. My lip was bleeding, and I was quickly running out of energy. I didn’t know what I was going to do, I didn’t know what I could do. It took more energy and effort to hold back than it would to take them out, but I couldn’t do it.

  It was too much, and I had to think seriously about using my abilities if I wanted to make it out of here in one piece. Another hit to the face made me dizzy, and I hesitated too long, allowing them to take advantage of the opening I had left. I couldn't focus my vision, and someone hit me behind the knees, sending me to the ground. I fell to all fours, all my training flying out of my head when a kick to my stomach made me forget how to breathe.

  Fear filled me as I struggled, unable to think through my own terror.

  Two of the men kneeled over me, grabbing my arms as another sat on my legs and kept me from fighting back. I thrashed as much as I could, fear and adrenaline making me want to scream as I tried my hardest to escape.